Hasp seal



Feb. l0, 1948. l

E. DIETZE 1 2,435,713

HASP SEAL Filved Aug. 25, 1946 INVNTOR. gz'lzee,

Patented Feb. 10, 1948 HAsP SEAL Emil Dletze, Richmond Hill, N. Y., assignor to American Casting & Manufacturing Corporation, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York L Application August 23, i946, serial No. 692,649

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in seals for preventing unauthorized opening of boxes or receptacles, such e. g. as telephone and like coin boxes, the covers of which are fastened in closed condition by means of cooperating hasp and staple elements.

Seals for the purpose mentioned are applied through the staple to overlie the outer face of the hasp through which the staple projects. That portion of the seal which engages through the staple eye is provided with a deformable portion initially of a width sized to readily pass through the staple eye, but which is adapted to be deformed or laterally enlarged by a suitable tool or press, after it has been passed through said staple eye, so that its Width is increased to a dimension exceeding the internal dimensions of the staple eye, and consequently cannot be drawn backv through the latter and thus disengaged from sealing relation to the hasp and staple. Seals of this type are expected, when once operatively applied to an assembled staple and hasp fastening means, not to be removable except by breaking or cutting the same, and thus destroying it, whereby, when once removed, the same cannot be used again.

With respect to some heretofore known ring type forms of hasp seals, it Vhas been found that the same could be violated by bending and folding or doubling the same upon themselves/without removing them from the staple, and thereupon forcing the bight of the doubled or folded together portions through the slot of the hasp, so that the latter could be sufciently displaced from the staple as to permit loosening of the receptacle or box cover to an extent which would permit surreptitious removal of the content of the receptacle or box. After such pilfering was accomplished, the hasp could be forced back onto the staple and the seal disengaged from the hasp slot, and thereupon unfolded and flattened out into initial sha'pe, so that little evidence of the tampering therewith would appear, and might well be overlooked unless a very critical inspection and examination of the seal were made.

It is an object of the instant invention, to provide a novel construction of seal, for the purposes stated, which is so formed as to provide a substantial amount of surface area, whereby identification markings, such e. g. as ownership indicia, group characters and consecutive serial numbers may be applied to and carried on the face of the seal, and thus eliminate necessity for application of such identifying indicia to the box or receptacle per se in connection with which or like tampering treatment, being provided with a non-foldable center formation which not only contributes to its tamperproof character. but which provides additional room for identification markings; and which is of such novel form and character as to simplify the process of manufacture thereof, whereby at the time it is struck by dies out of a blank, desired identifying markings may be simultaneously applied thereto.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hasp seal of the kind described which is so constructed and shaped as to provide a self-contained means for operatively positioning and registering the same relative to the dies of a seal press as to assume proper, accurate and uniform application of the seal press dies to the deformable portion of the seal when sealing the latter to a hasp and staple fastening means.

Other obects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be understood from the following detailed description of the same.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front face view, Fig. 2 is a top edge view, and Fig. 3 is a bottom edge view of the hasp seal made according to the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the seal, taken on line 4 4 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the hasp and staple portions of a box or receptacle to which the seal of this invention has been applied and deformed by a seal press in sealing relation 'l thereto.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of a part of a seal press as operatively applied to a seal ready to sealingly deform the latter, said view showing the features of the seal formation by virtue of which its deformable portion is accurately positioned to receive the action of the seal press dies.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings, the reference character I0 indicates a receptacle or box having a forwardly projecting staple Il. The open top of the receptacle or box is closed by a cover l2 with which is suitably connected a hasp I3, the latter having a slot I4 to engage over the staple Il when the cover is closed and secured. The receptacle and cover with the cooperating staple and hasp eiements, as shown, is merely illustrative of one of many forms thereof to which the seal of the instant invention may be applied, and consequently is subject to considerable variation as to specific construction, and as to the use to which it may be put, and as to devices with which it may be associated.

The seal of the instant invention is applied to.

4 over the staple II, the arm I8 is inserted through the eye of the latter, whereby the seal is suspended from the staple by the inner end portion of said arm I8. After the seal is thus inserted through the staple I I exteriorly of the hasp I3, a suitable press is applied to the concaVo-convex section 23 of the arm I8, and, by the action of the press dies, avportion of said concavo-convex section 23 is crushed down or deformed so as to be flattened and widened out as shown at 21 in Fig. 5.

' This flattened and widened portion 21 provides a provide a main plate-like body portion I5 Vof substantial surface area, the upper end part of which is of arcuate and preferably of semi-circular peripheral shape. The upper end part of s'aid body I5 is cutv away to provide an arcuate and preferably semi-circular slot IB, which is interrupted at one side to form an access gap I1. Said slot is spaced concjentrically parallel to the arcuate or semi-circular top peripheral edge of said body, thus providing, at the upper end of the latter, an arcuate or semi-circular arm I8, which terminates at its free end in a rounded end portion I9 bordering one side of said gap I1, andl which is opposed to a rounded tongue which borders the opposite side of said gap I1. The inner margin of said slot I6 denes a cen.- tral lobe 2| which is unitary with and extends from the main body portion I5, so that a side thereof is opposed to the access gap I1. The marginal portion of said central lobe 2I is shaped to provide a raisedy reenforcing or stiffening rib 4 Thev access gap I1 is of suflicient width to permit inward passage therethrough of a leg of the staple I I, whereby the arm I8 of the seal may be inserted through the eye of the staple so as to hang therefrom. Intermediate its ends, the arm I8 is so shaped, initially, as to possess an embossed portion 23 of concavo-convex shape in cross section. Said arm I8, as thus formed, is of an initial width throughout its extent somewhat less in dimension than the size of the eye of the staple I'I, so that it may be readily passed through the latter.

The seal of the instant invention, formed as above described, by its relatively large body portion I5 provides a stop greatly exceeding the size of the eye of the staple II, so that withdrawal of the seal from the staple eye in clockwise direction is impossible. The relatively large body p^rtion I5, including the central lobe 2I, also provides a face surface of considerable area uron which identification markings, such e. g. as ownership indicia 24, group characters 25, and consecutive serial numbers 26 may be inscribed, so that Vnecessity for applying any part of su'h identicationV markings to the receptacle or box per se may be avoided, and all such matter carried by the seal itself. Not only this, but by reasonyof the form of the seal, such identication markings may be applied to the seal at the same time the latter is struck out by dies from a blank from which it is formed, thus eliminating necessity for subsequent and separate marking operations.

In applying the seal to the receptacle or box to be served thereby, after the hasp I3 is engaged stop section, the width of which exceeds substan tially the internal size of the staple eye, and consequently' obstructs any attempt to withdraw the seal arm I8 in counter-clockwise direction through the staple eye so as to remove the seal from the staple. In this connection, it is a feature of the instant invention that the seal is so formed as to provide self-contained means for operatively positioning and registering the deformable section 23 relative to the dies of the seal press, whereby to assure proper, accurate and uniform application of the seal thereto, so that proper location of the stop formation 21 therein may be assured. The manner of attaining this end is shown, more particularly in Fig, 6, which illustrates operative application of the seal of the instant invention to a seal press of the general type and kind shown in my United States Letters Patent No, 1,809,255, dated June 9, 1931. As shown in Fig, 6, in order toaccurately place the seal so that the action of the press dies thereon will occur at a desired point, the end I 9 of the arm I8 is engaged with one side or notch 28 of the seal press gauge or guide post 23 and the opposed tongue 20 is engagedv with the opposite side or notch 3D of said gauge or guide post 29, while the central lobe 2I abuts and bears against a side face of said gauge or guide post, thus providing a three point bearing of the seal structure rela.- tive to the latter, whereby to firmly and immovably hold the seal in place, with the deformable section 23 properly located between the press dies, one of which is shown at 3 I.

Since the central lobe 2I is stifened by the embossed rib 22, any attempt to bend the seal for the purpose of tampering manipulation thereof is strongly resisted, and consequently any attempt I to double the seal arm I8 upon itself for partial forcing through the hasp slot I4, whereby to attempt displacement of the hasp relative to the staple I I, and loosening the receptacle cover is efficiently frustrated.

When it is desired, by an authorized person, to

open the receptacle or box which is guarded by the seal, the body portion I5 and arm I8 are grasped and spread apart, and the seal so manipulated as to break away the arm IB from the body I5 at the weakened juncture 32 of the former with the latter; or the arm I 8 may be cut throagh at such point by a suitable tool. This not only removes. the seal but destroys it so that it cannot be used again. When the receptacle or box is again closed and secured a new seal must therefore be applied in guarding relation to the staple and hasp for such purpose.

Having now described my present invention, I claim:

1. A seal for extension through a staple exteriorly of a slotted hasp closed over said staple comprising a substantially rectangular plate-like bod-y of substantial surface area having a curvilinear arm unitary therewith and extending across the top thereof and spaced byacorrespondingcurvilinear slot from the main part of said body, said body havinglan access gap adjacentv the free end of said arm which leads through a side of the body into said slot, the inner margin of said slot defining a central lobe in the plane of said body one side of which is opposed to said access gap, said arm being of an initial width adapted to pass through the staple eye, and said arm being provided intermediate its ends with a deformable portion adapted to be pressed to form a widened stop portion operative to prevent withdrawal of said arm from the staple eye.

2. A seal for extension through a staple exteriorly of a slotted hasp closed over said staple comprising a substantially rectangular plate-like body of substantial surface area having a curvilinear arm unitary therewith and extending across the top thereof and spaced by a corresponding curvilinear slot from the main part of said body, said body having an access gap adjacent the free end of said arm which leads through a side of the body into said slot, the inner margin of said slot defining a central lobe in the plane of said body one side of which is opposed to said access gap, said lobe having an embossed stiffening rib bordering its free margin, said arm being provid-ed intermediate its ends with a deformable portion adapted to be pressed to form a widened stop portion operative to prevent withdrawal of said arm from the staple eye.

3. A seal for extension through a staple eX- teriorly of a slotted hasp closed over said staple comprising a substantially rectangular plate-like body of substantial surface area having a top periphery of arcuate shape, said body being provided across its upper end with an arcuate slot and an access gap at one side of the body which communicates with said slot adjacent to one end thereof, said slot thus forming at the top and in the plane of said body and as a unitary part of the latter an arcuate arm, the free end of said arm being disposed to border one side of said gap, a tongue extending from said body to border the opposite side of said gap in opposition to said arm end, the inner margin of said slot defining a central lobe in the plane of said body, one side of said lobe being opposed to said access gap, and said arm being of an initial width adapted to pass through the staple eye and being provided intermediate its ends with a deformable portion adapted to be pressed to form a widened stop portion operative to prevent withdrawal of said arm from the staple eye.

4. A seal as 4defined in claim 3 wherein said central lobe is provided with an embossed stiffening rib .bordering its free margin.

EMIL DIETZE.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Dietze Jan. 18, 1938 Number 

